Economics and Utopia: Why the Learning Economy is Not the End of History / Edition 1

by Geoffrey M Hodgson

Overview

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall we have been told that no alternative to Western capitalism is possible or desirable. This book challenges this view with two arguments. First, the above premise ignores the enormous variety within capitalism itself. Second, there are enormous forces of transformation within contemporary capitalisms, associated with moves towards a more knowledge-intensive economy. These forces challenge the traditional bases of contract and employment, and could lead to a quite different socio-economic system. Without proposing a static blueprint, this book explores this possible scenario.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415075060
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/05/1998
Series:	Economics as Social Theory
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION Part I Visions and illusions 2 SOCIALISM AND THE LIMITS TO INNOVATION 3 THE ABSOLUTISM OF MARKET INDIVIDUALISM Part II The blindness of existing theory 4 THE UNIVERSALITY OF MAINSTREAM ECONOMICS 5 KARL MARX AND THE TRIUMPH OF CAPITALISM 6 INSTITUTIONALISM AND VARIETIES OF CAPITALISM Part III Back to the future 7 CONTRACT AND CAPITALISM 8 KNOWLEDGE AND EMPLOYMENT 9THE END OF CAPITALISM? 10 THE LEARNING FRONTIER 11 SOME NORMATIVE AND POLICY ISSUES

Editorial Reviews

'Economics and Utopia is well-written, accessible and consistently engaging.....it is a must for any economic geographer wanting to keep abreast of progress in political economic thought' - Area

'This is a book that deserves to be widely read, and should be by anybody with an interest in the discipline of Economics...well-aruged, stimulating and thought-provoking.' - Capital and Class

From the Publisher